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(No ModeL) G. w. HEY.

CHEESE PRESS.

No. 277,839. Patented May 15,1883.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT FFICEs" GEORGE W. HEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. DUELL, OF SAME PLACE.

CHEESE-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 277,839, dated May 15,1883.

Application filed April 13, 1883. (N model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE lV. HEY, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Cheese -Presses, of which the following, taken inconnection with theiaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My improvement relates to the class of cheese-presses termedgang-presses, in which several cheese-hoops filled with curd aresimultaneously pressed in a horizontal gang, and it is more specificallydesigned for pressing what are termed Young America cheeses. These consist of small cheeses pressed in hoopsusually seven inches in diameterby ten in depth. The presses for this class of cheese heretofore in useare horizontal, and usually of sufficient length to.press twenty hoopsat one operation, and several of these presses were required to pressthe curd coagulated and prepared in a single vat.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, compact, andeffective press which has in itself capacity to receive and press atonce any desired number of hoopswithout increasing the floor-spaceoccupied by the press; and to this end the invention consists inproviding a press-frame having waysfor the reception of separate tiersof hoops arrangedside by side and above, and a platen adapted to movecentrally and in a horizontal plane,the said platen having radiatingarms, which bear against and transmit the pressure of the screw or otherpressing mechanism to the follower of the hoops and effect the pressingof the cheese.

It also consists in providing the platen with a central hub, throughwhich the pressingscrew passes, and combining the same with anadjustable head-block, whereby econom y in space is secured, as thescrew comes between the upper and lower tiers of hoops, and bearsagainst the adjusting head block, and the press-frame is only requiredto be of sufficient length to receive the multiple of the desired numberof hoops, with the addition of space enough to put in the head-block.

It consists, also, of the platen itself, of the press-frame, and in thedetail construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts,all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying my invention reference is bad to the accompanyingdrawings,forminga part of this specification, in which like letters in- 5 dicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation, showing my press arranged as a quadruplexgang. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section, taken back of the adjustablehead-block, showing the construetion of the frame and the ways uponwhich the hoops are supported, the platen, the central guide-channel,and the reversible pawl and ratchet which actuate the pressing-screwFig. 3, detached details of the reversible pawl and ratchet, and Fig. 4adetached view of the platen. The press-frame is composed of uprightstandards A A and horizontal timbers B B,

which are bolted together. A central channel p in the frame is composedof timbers KK, Fig- 2, which are provided with grooves or rabbets C C,in which the platen and head-block are guided centrally as the hoops arepressed, or

for adjustment to press less than the full number of hoops for which thepress is designed.

Skids b I) b b are bolted to the frame-work,and

form ways to w w w, upon which the separate tiers of cheese-hoops H Hare supported.

The letter P represents the platen, which transmits the power of thepressing mechanism to the hoops. This platen is preferably constructedas shown in Fig. 4, and may be made of metal, or other suitable materialpossessiugthe requisite strength. The platen has 8 5 a central hub orboss, 19, through which the pressingscrew Spasses, and arms P P P,&c.,corresponding to the tiers of hoops, which radiate from the center19, and bear against the followers of the hoops when the platen is inplace in the press-frame. Tongues or guides s s, Fig. 4, are provided,and they slide in the central channels, C C, of the press-frame, andserve to keep the platen central when pressure is applied.

It will be observed that the screw S is carried by the platen, the rearend of the screw being sustained ina recess, a, Fig. 1, in theadjustable head-block D. The head-block D is constructed as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and

slides horizontally in' the channels 0, and is sustained at any desiredpoint in the length of the press by means. of stout metal pins orhandspikes, which pass through holes gg, Fig. 1, in the timbers K K.

The pressing-screw is actuated by means of a pawl and ratchet, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. The construction of the pawl and ratchet is shown inthe detached detail view, Fig. 3, two dogs, d d, being provided toalternately engage the ratchet-wheel 7, according to the way it isdesired to actuate the screw, the short dog d servingto puton pressure,and the long bent dog d serving to reverse the action of the screw toallow the adjustment of the platen and head-block, or to remove thehoops from the'press.

In order to allow an odd number of hoopsin any tier of the gang andequalize the pressure,- 1 provide tension or take-up screws T, Fig. 1,which pass through the press-frame in line with the centers of thehoops. These screws bear against a circular disk or block, and can beadjusted to equalize the pressure, as desired, by setting the screw upuntil the tier bears evenly against the coinciding arm of the platen P.The press-frame is provided with openings at a, Fig. 2, in its sides,which permit the placingand removal of the lower tiers of hoops.

The cheese-hoops H H are of the usual form employed, and are bandagedand filled with curd and placed upon the ways '10 10. When the press isfilled the pressure is applied by means of the pawl and ratchet,whichare actuated by the handle 0, which projects out from the press-framethrough the opening a, Fig.2. As the curd is compacted the head-block ismoved forward in the channels 0, and held in position by the pins orhandspikes, as previously described.

It will be seen that no extra length of pressframe is required for thescrew, as the screw is sustained in the platen and projects in betweenthe tiers of hoops.

It will also be observed that the platen and head-block can be moved oradjusted so as to press any desired number of hoops less than the fullquota for which the press is designed by simply distributing the hoopsin the various tiers and equalizing them with the screw T, so that allof the arms of the platen bear against the followers, and then applyingpressto a quadruplex gang, as shown in the example of my inventionherein set forth; neither do I desire to limit myself to the pressingmechanism shown, as toggle-joints, levers, and stationary screws can besuccessfully substituted for the screw herein illustrated and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A gang-press having aplaten provided with arms which bear against thefollowers of several series of cheese-hoops supported in thepress-frame, and operated by suitable pressing mechanism tosimultaneously press said series of hoops.

2. A gang-press having a platen carrying the pressing-screw, andprovided with arms bearing against the followers of cheese-hoops,arranged in separate tiers within the pressframe, and combined with anadjustable headblock, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a platen adapted to bear against the followers ofseparate tiers of cheese-hoops, a press-frame provided with quadruplexways and a central guide-channel, and a pressing screw, substantially asdescribed.

4. The platen P, having central hub or boss,

19, and arms 19 p", radiating from the center, and guides or slides s s,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' 5. The combination of the platen P, constructed as described, with ascrew, S, and pawl and ratchet, said pawl consisting of the dogs 61 (1,adapted to engage withand reverse the action of the screw, substantiallyas described.

6. A gang-press frame, composed of the ways 10 w, central guide-channelO, and having side openings, 0. a, for the admission and removal of thelower tier of hoops, substantially as specified.

7. The within-described gang-press, composed of the platen, press-screw,frame, adjustable head-block, and the tension or takeup'screw T, or itsequivalent,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, this 11th day of April, 1883.

GEORGE W. HEY.

